Phillips Neighborhood Clinic
By HARRY LEEDS
By now you have probably heard about the global pandemic. If you haven”™t stepped outside your house in three months, then I”™ll tell you””oh, you know already.
In recent weeks, many states, including Minnesota, have been opening up businesses. Does this mean that it is safe to go back and interact with the public?
Well, it depends on what you mean by “safe.” On the one hand, our doctors are more experienced with coronavirus and we have more medical equipment to fight it. On the other, even though numbers of hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Minnesota have been declining, there are still many cases out in the community. With businesses reopening and people gathering for protests, getting infected is still possible and we still don”™t have a vaccine or very effective medicine. Many experts think we will soon see another increase in hospitalized cases.
People with cardiovascular disease and diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing severe corona complications, so those people should weigh the risks of going into large groups heavily when thinking about how to spend their days.
If you are indeed ready to stretch your legs, I would recommend going for a walk over going to a bar. Sun and fresh air are good for the mind and body, especially when they haven”™t seen each other in a while. Minneapolis has a gorgeous park system, and the summer in Minnesota is fabulous, if not short lived.
Exposure to carriers of the virus in public parks is a risk, but it is easier than, say, the grocery store to keep a distance from others. While outside you are unlikely to come into contact with many infected surfaces. As scary as this all is, your spiritual side needs feeding to, and you have to live your life.
